Dairy financing conference in California

Submitted by admin on Fri, 02/04/2011 - 17:42

Hoard's Dairyman:

Dairy financing conference in California

Date:

Fri, 02/04/2011

Think of it as a clear sign of just how different these post-2009 meltdown financial times are for Western milk producers: A day-long conference to help dairy owners develop and improve relationships with lenders and suppliers will be held February 22 in Visalia, Calif.

The “Dairy Financing Conference” will be presented by Western United Dairymen, Rabobank, Land O’Lakes, and The Food Partners, a food industry investment banking firm, at the Convention Center Marriott Hotel. Registration fee is $25 and includes lunch. It’s an event whose value figures to far exceed its cost.

Industry outlooks will be made by two economists and will be followed by four panel discussions. Specific topics will be:
• “2011 Outlook for the California Dairy Industry”
• “Ways to Improve Cash Flow and Profitability”
• “How to Better Manager Your Banking Relationship and Renegotiate Loans”
• “What it Means to be in Special Assets”
• “Working With Suppliers, Advisors, Consultants, and Milk Marketers”

David Frost from The Food Partners expects attendance to be high, due to the still-severe effects of the 2009 dairy economy collapse. “This conference can’t change the effects of the recession, but the majority of the dairy world is worried and anxious. Getting that attitude turned around is a key part of recovery, and one of the messages we want to share is that there are people out there who want to help dairies.”